Betrayal

The dance ended, and the prince returned. Joel went forward to whisper something in his ear, probably about my earlier movements. The prince smiled and told me to follow him. He walked briskly, and I hurried to keep up until we reached his chambers. He entered, and I followed quickly.

He turned to face me and said, "What were you trying to do by going into the royal kitchen?"

I replied, "Nothing. I just got lost, I guess."

He held my hand, grabbed me, and threw me onto the bed. I shrunk back and asked, "What do you want to do?"

He smirked and replied, "What do you think I want to do?" He started unbuttoning my guard suit.

I held his hands and demanded, "What do you think you're doing? Let go of me immediately."

He held my hands firmly and repeated, "I asked you, what do you think I'm trying to do?"

A lot of possibilities ran through my mind as he continued. He finished unbuttoning the suit, revealing only a long shirt underneath. I clung to my shirt, my eyes turning red. "Please don't," I begged.

His eyes were filled with desire. He leaned down and kissed me, his lips moving with an intensity that made me shiver. I resisted at first, then began to lose control, my ears turning red as my own desire grew.

He tore my shirt apart, leaving my upper body completely exposed except for my trousers. He kissed me more deeply, and even I started to lose myself in the moment, my body responding to his touch. My ears were burning, and I found myself wanting him despite everything.

He reached down to my trousers, his fingers brushing against the fabric. "Do you want me?" he asked, his voice low and rough.

I could only moan in response, my body arching toward him. His hand slipped inside my trousers without pulling them down, his fingers grazing against the hidden pocket in my panties where the powdered substance was concealed.

He pulled back slightly, a smirk playing on his lips as he held the small packet of poison between his fingers. "What's this, Nia?" he asked, his tone mocking. "Planning something, weren't you?"

I quickly snapped back to reality and blushed even more intensely. He stood up, looking angry, as if he hadn't just been burning with desire moments ago.

"I told you to wait, didn't I? I was going to show you my proof after this banquet ended, but you didn't want to listen," he said. Then he ordered, "Stay here. I'll be back shortly," and left.

I couldn't even respond. I felt shy, embarrassed, and exposed. I hastily put on my clothes and tried to compose myself. Why did I let him touch me like that? My cheeks were still burning red. I must have gone mad.

I waited for a while, collecting and composing myself.

Chapter Six

After a few tense moments, I heard the prince enter the room with two guards dragging a disheveled man between them. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. The prince commanded the guards to drop the man and leave, which they did without hesitation.

I scoffed and asked, "What's this for?"

The prince replied, "My proof."

As I moved closer, recognition hit me like a thunderbolt—it was him! One of the men who had chased my sister and me all those years ago. I gasped in terror, my teeth grinding in rage. I wanted nothing more than to kill him right then and there, but the prince placed a calming hand on my shoulder.

"What if you've bribed him to say whatever you want?" I scoffed. "How can I believe him?"

The prince chuckled. "You just won't believe anything I say, Nia. But it's fine." He then unwrapped something I hadn't noticed he was carrying. When he finished, I gasped—it was a blue worm, a creature known to induce hallucinations and strip away all perceptual defenses, ensuring truthful answers before causing death within minutes.

The prince stepped forward, forced the man's mouth open, and shoved the worm in. "Now, you can ask your questions, Nia."

I looked at the man with cold, unfeeling eyes, wishing I could prolong his suffering. But I asked him calmly, "Who sent you?"

He smiled, his mind already slipping. "It was a woman. She had a strange tattoo and green eyes."

"What kind of tattoo?" I demanded, fear gripping me.

"It was a snake-like pattern," the man replied, his voice shaky.

"Where was it located? Tell me this instant!"

"It was on her right arm," he said.

"No, no, no. Are you sure?" I suddenly couldn't breathe. The only person I knew with that exact tattoo and green eyes was Tamara. I had been with her since we were small—how could she betray me?

"That's Tamara!" I exclaimed. "You're lying to me. "You have to be lying to me"